Buick Riviera Concept

Buick brings its Shanghai showstopper to North America.

Buick uses the Detroit auto show to show us what gets the Chinese market all fired up: the Riviera concept that was designed and engineered in China and made its world debut at the 2007 Shanghai auto show.

And although Buick has made no formal production announcement, we expect the concept's new hybrid powertrain and a coupe strongly resembling this one will enter production for both the Chinese and American markets.

The new Riv is a made-in-China design, courtesy of the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). GM claims that inspiration comes from the original Y-Job concept of 1938 and the LeSabre, Electra 225, and Riviera coupes of the 1960s and '70s, although you really have to squint to see any of them in the new Riviera's curvy bod.

At 185.4 inches long, with a 112.9-inch wheelbase and riding on 21-inch, 10-spoke forged aluminum wheels, the gullwing car is the most striking thing to wear Buick's three shields since the sexy Velite concept convertible from 2004, which influenced the Riviera concept. And although we're sure the doors won't make it past the show circuit, General Motors says the concept represents Buick's global design direction for its next generation of mid-size luxury cars.

The two-plus-two-seater features carbon-fiber body panels, including the doors, which boast a 76-inch wingspan and cast the word "Buick" on the ground at night when opened. Pedigree is established with the Buick trishield logo mounted on a trihedral waterfall grille that leads into a reflective strip through the hood to provoke memories of the mid-hood crease of classic Buicks. Two shaded-glass panels form the roof.

Inside are a three-dimensional speedometer and a center console that looks like a computer mouse, with a touchpad and an LCD. The gear lever has been replaced with electronic shifter pads.

The hybrid powertrain will be from Shanghai GM, another GM/SAIC collaboration, and provides evidence that China is attempting to become a global leader in alternative powertrains. GM wants hybrids on the road by the time Beijing hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics. China is Buick's largest market, a country where it is the brand of choice for government dignitaries, making China as fitting a locale as any to launch a new Buick concept. In fact, the Chinese love Buick so much—and even though GM sold more than 1.1 million Rivieras in the U.S. from 1963 to 1999—that GM still might not give us first dibs on the real thing.

To give the Chinese their due, there are pictures of Buicks in China as far back as 1912 and news items dating to 1906. The first Buick didn't come off a Chinese assembly line until December 1998: a mid-size car based on the U.S.-designed Regal and Century. Today, there are about 400 Buick dealers in China.

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